Monthly Archives: July 2016

Welcome

Welcome you to the July edition of our CCG e-bulletin.

This is our opportunity to let you find out more about your local NHS South Tees Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The CCG plans and buys the majority of health services in Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland so we think it is really important that we build meaningful relationships with patients, carers and the general public as well as with the many organisations that have an interest in the NHS.

This bulletin is designed to keep you up to date with the work of our Clinical Commissioning Group and let you know how you can get involved in planning local health services.

CCG publishes Annual Report

Over the last year, there have been some significant achievements by the CCG and our partners and providers to celebrate. Details of these and other important work programmes will be found in the CCG’s annual report. Please visit our website for details.

NHS approves plans for 7 day GP services across South Tees

Plans to introduce 7 day access to GP services were approved at the CCG Governing Body Meeting on 6 July 2016.

From 1 April 2017, people across Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland will be able to access GP services until 9.30pm on weekdays and from 8am-9.30pm on weekends and bank holidays from 4 extended access GP centres across South Tees.

The extended centres will replace existing walk in centres in North Ormesby and Eston Grange.

They will be sited at:

Redcar Primary Care Hospital;

One Life Centre, Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough;

East Cleveland Primary Care Hospital, Brotton;

North Ormesby Health Village.

In addition, having listened to the feedback from the public and professional bodies, the CCG will continue to refine and develop its proposal to enhance A&E at James Cook University Hospital with GP services; in particular, exploring the development of a combined GP model in A&E to enhance the care for frail, older people and support the management of primary care conditions.

The new arrangements follow a 12-week public consultation held from January to April 2016. The CCG consulted the public on three options, all of which offered extended access to GP services that replaced the area’s two walk in centres.

The CCG’s preferred option (Option Two) was backed by nearly 54% of people who responded to the public consultation. Nearly 2000 questionnaire responses were received during a comprehensive consultation programme that included 10 public meetings across Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland and a clear focus on gathering the views of minority, marginalised and disadvantaged groups.

What happens next?

The new arrangements will come into place on 1 April 2017. Until then, patients will be able to access services in exactly the same way as they do now.

The CCG is planning a comprehensive communications and engagement campaign to highlight to local people when the changes will take place and how it will affect them. Further details will be publicised in the coming weeks.

Dr Janet Walker, chair of the CCG said: “One of the main themes from speaking to people throughout our engagement work and then in the public consultation was how much people valued access to GP services.

“For the majority of people, visiting their GP practice in primary care is their entry point into the NHS and it makes a great deal of sense to strengthen our primary care services with the introduction of extended access GP centres across the South Tees area.

“We named our public consultation ‘Making Health Simple: Right Place, First Time’ in response to feedback from local people, who told us loud and clear during our pre-engagement and consultation that they found the way health services are set up really confusing.

“We have listened to that feedback and believe that our new urgent care services will offer people a much more straightforward journey to get the service they need. During the day, patients will still be able to contact their GP practice in the same way as they do now.

“After 6pm, by calling the NHS 111 service, which is available 24/7 and free to call from landlines and mobile phones, people will be signposted to the most appropriate service for their needs, which could be an appointment at one of the new extended hours GP centres at Redcar Primary Care Hospital, North Ormesby Health Village, the One Life Centre or East Cleveland Primary Care Hospital.

“For life threatening emergencies or serious injuries, people should of course continue to dial 999.

“I’d like to thank everyone who took part in our engagement work and contributed to the public consultation by attending one of our meetings or completing a questionnaire. That feedback has been vital in helping us to design services that meet the changing needs of our local population now and in the future.”

As part of the changes, the CCG is planning a comprehensive programme of communications and engagement activity to highlight the new services and how people will be affected. This will include local media advertising, and information sent to every household in the South Tees area. Further information will be available at www.makinghealthsimple.org as well as social media.

Better Health Programme (BHP)

Better Health Programme: “Specialist emergency care could be provided from fewer sites, to deliver a high quality service.”

Doctors leading the Better Health Programme believe that, in the future, specialist emergency care could be provided from fewer sites, if the NHS in Darlington Durham and Tees is to deliver a high quality service.

They also emphasised that no decisions have been made about changes to where care should be provided in the future.

GP and clinical lead Neil O’Brien said: “The view of the clinical leadership of the programme is that having the right workforce available to meet patients’ needs 24/7 means we need to look at specialist emergency care for adults and children being provided from fewer sites.

“We will be looking seriously at the case for each of the four hospitals in Darlington, Durham

As the school holidays approach many people are planning a break away from home. For those lucky enough to be going away please ensure that you have a supply of all your usual medications to take with you, and for those leaving the country for more exotic climes, I hope you have already been along to your surgery’s travel clinic and had any vaccinations that may be required.

A first aid or self medication pack for in or out of the country can be really useful to take with you including, paracetamol, rehydration salts (for gastroenteritis) and simple dressings.

Don’t forget the sunblock, the sunhats, keep out of the midday sun, to reduce the chances of insect bites wear long sleeves/trousers and avoid walking at dawn or dusk, and choose food carefully! Ensure all meat is well cooked through and be wary of food or drink (including ice) made or washed with water that could be contaminated.

Be careful how much alcohol you drink, especially in the heat and try to resist those cheap cigarettes to bring back and instead plan to stop when you are back home to save up for the next holiday instead.

When you have finished trying to follow all these rules designed to keep you safe whilst away, I do hope you manage to relax and have a good holiday!

Activity counter update:
The good news is that I have found the counter under my car seat and will get it synchronised again and back into action. The challenging news is that I will have to increase my step targets . I do quite a bit of walking when I am on holiday, the hard bit will be managing to keep up with this when I am back at work again.

From 1 April 2017, patients across Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland will be able to access GP services until 9.30pm on weekdays and from 8am-9.30pm on weekends and bank holidays from 4 extended access GP centres across South Tees.

The extended centres will replace existing walk in centres in North Ormesby and Eston Grange. They will be sited at:

Redcar Primary Care Hospital;

One Life Centre, Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough;

East Cleveland Primary Care Hospital, Brotton;

North Ormesby Health Village.

In addition, the CCG will continue to refine and develop its proposal to enhance A&E at James Cook University Hospital with GP services; in particular, exploring the development of a combined GP model in A&E to enhance the care for frail, older people and support the management of primary care conditions.

The new arrangements follow a 12-week public consultation held from January to April 2016 and a review of the estate across South Tees. The CCG consulted the public on three options, all of which offered extended access to GP services that replaced the area’s two walk in centres.

The CCG’s preferred option (Option Two) was backed by nearly 54% of people who responded to the public consultation. Nearly 2000 questionnaire responses were received during a comprehensive consultation programme that included 10 public meetings across Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland and a clear focus on gathering the views of minority, marginalised and disadvantaged groups.

The new arrangements will come into place on 1 April 2017. Until then, patients will be able to access services in exactly the same way as they do now.

The CCG is planning a comprehensive communications and engagement campaign to highlight to local people when the changes will take place and how it will affect them. This will include local media advertising, and information sent to every household in the South Tees area. Further information will be available at www.makinghealthsimple.org.

Plans to introduce 7 day access to GP services have today (6 July 2016) been rubber stamped by the local NHS.

From 1 April 2017, people across Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland will be able to access GP services until 9.30pm on weekdays and from 8am-9.30pm on weekends and bank holidays from 4 extended access GP centres across South Tees.

The extended centres will replace existing walk in centres in North Ormesby and Eston Grange. They will be sited at:

Redcar Primary Care Hospital;

One Life Centre, Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough;

East Cleveland Primary Care Hospital, Brotton;

North Ormesby Health Village.

In addition, having listened to the feedback from the public and professional bodies, the CCG will continue to refine and develop its proposal to enhance A&E at James Cook University Hospital with GP services; in particular, exploring the development of a combined GP model in A&E to enhance the care for frail, older people and support the management of primary care conditions.

The new arrangements follow a 12-week public consultation held from January to April 2016. The CCG consulted the public on three options, all of which offered extended access to GP services that replaced the area’s two walk in centres.

The CCG’s preferred option (Option Two) was backed by nearly 54% of people who responded to the public consultation. Nearly 2000 questionnaire responses were received during a comprehensive consultation programme that included 10 public meetings across Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland and a clear focus on gathering the views of minority, marginalised and disadvantaged groups.

Earlier today, the CCG’s Governing Body, made up from local GPs, NHS managers and lay members rubber stamped the new arrangements, which will come into effect on 1 April 2017.

What happens next?

The new arrangements will come into place on 1 April 2017. Until then, patients will be able to access services in exactly the same way as they do now.

The CCG is planning a comprehensive communications and engagement campaign to highlight to local people when the changes will take place and how it will affect them. Further details will be publicised in the coming weeks.

Dr Janet Walker, chair of the CCG said: “One of the main themes from speaking to people throughout our engagement work and then in the public consultation was how much people valued access to GP services.

“For the majority of people, visiting their GP practice in primary care is their entry point into the NHS and it makes a great deal of sense to strengthen our primary care services with the introduction of extended access GP centres across the South Tees area.

“We named our public consultation ‘Making Health Simple: Right Place, First Time’ in response to feedback from local people, who told us loud and clear during our pre-engagement and consultation that they found the way health services are set up really confusing.

“We have listened to that feedback and believe that our new urgent care services will offer people a much more straightforward journey to get the service they need. During the day, patients will still be able to contact their GP practice in the same way as they do now.

“After 6pm, by calling the NHS 111 service, which is available 24/7 and free to call from landlines and mobile phones, people will be signposted to the most appropriate service for their needs, which could be an appointment at one of the new extended hours GP centres at Redcar Primary Care Hospital, North Ormesby Health Village, the One Life Centre or East Cleveland Primary Care Hospital.

“For life threatening emergencies or serious injuries, people should of course continue to dial 999.

“I’d like to thank everyone who took part in our engagement work and contributed to the public consultation by attending one of our meetings or completing a questionnaire. That feedback has been vital in helping us to design services that meet the changing needs of our local population now and in the future.”

As part of the changes, the CCG is planning a comprehensive programme of communications and engagement activity to highlight the new services and how people will be affected. This will include local media advertising, and information sent to every household in the South Tees area. Further information will be available at www.makinghealthsimple.org as well as social media.